Headlines

The Ranger

Mike Stewart hit a forehand during tennis practice at Sunset Park. The annual Riverton-Lander tennis challenge will be held on Saturday, Aug. 18, in Riverton at Sunset Park. The challenge will start at 9 a.m. Lander won the 2011 tennis challenge in Lander. Photo by Bruce Tippets

Cross-county tennis challenge Aug. 18 in Riverton

Aug 3, 2012 - By Bruce Tippets, Sports Editor

In 2011, Lander won the annual cross-county tennis challenge with Riverton.

The Riverton tennis players have marked Saturday, Aug. 18, at Sunset Park in Riverton as the day to win this year's challenge.

"This is a real big deal for us," Riverton tennis leader Roger Melton said. "It's a toss up when we go into it. We will just have to wait and see what type of players that we have."

In the past several years, the two towns have played against each other in May or June.

"We thought that we will just wait toward the end of August," Melton said. "We thought that maybe we will get a few more people."

The challenge starts at 9 a.m. There will be refreshments served to the tennis players. The event is free to the public. Players can register on the day of the tennis challenge.

"We are here to have fun, but it can't help but get serious at times," Melton said. "That is just the nature of a tennis player."

The events are singles, mixed doubles and doubles.

"There is no age limit," Melton said. "People just need to show up, and we will match up people with good competition. We know the level of play with most of the players."

Melton is hoping the two cities can have at least 30 players in the challenge. The players will play one eight-game pro set.

Club players

The Riverton tennis club plays at Sunset Park every Tuesday and Thursday at 5 p.m.

Players also pay at 9 a.m. Saturdays and 4 p.m. Sundays.

"We typically get eight to 10 players," Melton said.

The club rotates players so everyone gets time on the courts. All age groups are welcome to play.

"We have some high school tennis players that join us, and some older players," Melton said.

The Lander tennis club plays at 10 a.m. Sundays.

The club plays either at the Lander Valley High School tennis courts or at the Lander city courts.